I took Mason in for his 3 year Well Child check up last week...only 53 weeks late...whoops, my bad.  So, it ended up being his 4 year Well child check up.  Oh well.  Such is life.  He's healthy and there's no concerns!  

Shockingly, and by that I mean this should come as no shock to anyone who's seen this kid, he's in the >97th percentile for height, weight and BMI.  Kade was in the same percentile at 3 year as well.  God has blessed me with some BIG boys!!

There's a kid on Kade's basketball team that is very shy and tentative.  There's only one game left in the season and he had yet to score a basket (I think he's only even taken 1 or 2 shots total).  So last week the boys on the team made it their mission to get this kid a basket.  They passed him the ball every chance they got and he drove to the basket and shot it every time.  He did finally score!  After the game Kade told me that he was so excited for this kid he wanted to run out on the court and give him a hug.  Later that night, as I was tucking Kade in, as usual I asked him what the best part of his day was.  On Saturday's his answer is always playing the basketball game, however on this particular Saturday he got to see his birth mom and grandma so I wondered if that wouldn't be his best part of the day.  He completely surprised me with his answer.  He said the best part of his day was "when Simeon scored his basket".  If that doesn't make a mama proud!!!

A couple weeks ago we went to a hotel to celebrate Mason's and Melissa's February birthdays.

We might have to use the excuse of celebrating half-birthdays because it was so fun we want to go back!

Mason and Melissa blowing out their "4" candle

I love this picture!!

This is ok....for now :-)

Catching up on some pictures this week.

I'm taking advantage of this cold winter weather and putting Erik to work doing some house projects!  When it's above 10 degrees, he's outside "playing".  So I have a very small time frame in January and February to get him to take on some indoor projects.  He decided he needed a fancy new saw in order to get them done.  I'm not sure who is more excited about it though, Erik or Mason.

My basketball boys.

I'm not sure this coach knows what he's doing though :-)

But he sure looks cute when he's deep in thought!

We ended up with a decent size ice rink in the ditch by our driveway.  

Kade spent hours skating on it every day but unfortunately it's gone now after a day of warmer weather.

Someone got a hold of a phone.

Nerd.

Mason's daycare mom sent me these pictures of his birthday celebration.  She always manages to capture the best smiles from him!

We took Mason to his first movie last Wednesday while Kade was at school.  He did pretty well!  We managed to stay for the whole thing and he only got a little restless in the middle.  

Kade still hasn't been to a movie!  I asked him today if he wants to go to one and he said, "Only if it's one I'd like.  But I probably wouldn't want to stay for the whole thing."  

Happy 4th Birthday, Mason!!

I can't believe you are 4 already!!  February 9, 2014 is still so fresh in my mind that I'd swear it was just last month.

It was a Sunday at 1:00 and I was at work.  Dad and Kade were at Carlos O'Kelley's for lunch celebrating Uncle Mike's birthday.  I was sitting in the break room eating my lunch when Jody (the social worker) called to tell me that a baby boy was born early in the morning at the hospital in Mankato, his birth mom had chosen adoption and we were the lucky family to get him.
I called Dad immediately, shaking with excitement and shock.  Then I called Grandpa C because we were supposed to go to their house for supper to celebrate his birthday.  I told him we weren't going to make it because we were going to meet our new baby.
I left work immediately.  Kade went home with Grandma and Grandpa H and dad met me at home.  We quickly dug out the baby car seat, some baby clothes and took off for Mankato.  On the way we googled names, I read off at least 100 names to dad but the only name that stuck out to us was "Mason".
We got there around 3:30, a social worker met us at the front door and we went straight to the nursery to see you.  A nurse was rocking you in her arms.  She told me that everyone in the hospital was fighting over whose turn it was to snuggle you until we got there.  You were so popular!  My first reaction was:  he's so tan!  and look at all of that black hair!  and look at those big cheeks and ears!  You were perfect.  Another nurse came into the room, crying.  She told us that she was adopted and our story moved her to tears, she had to come in to see you, see us, to give us all a big hug and wish us a lifetime of happiness.

I never get tired of telling your story, it's miraculous.  I think of your birth mom often, how painful that decision must've been to choose adoption for you.  I thank God every day for His gift--it's your birthday but Dad and I are the ones who received the best present ever on the day you were born.

We love you, Mason David--our big, funny, stubborn, snuggly, happy, adorable 4 year old boy!!

Yesterday morning I got a message from a mother of one of Kade's friends saying the boys may be dealing with some bullies at school.  She didn't know the full details but it sounded like there was a group of 4th grade boys picking on Kade, his friend, and perhaps more 1st grade boys.

Shortly after receiving that message, I received a message from the mother of one of the possible bullies (the beauty--or is this the curse?--of small town living).  She wanted to get to the bottom of it and hold her son accountable.  After lots of messaging throughout the day I was eager to get home and talk to Kade.  And these mothers were eager to hear Kade's side of the story.

Of course with Kade, being a 7 year old boy, I knew I only had a small window of time and a limited number of questions I could ask before he would get annoyed and be done talking.  So I did what every good parent would do, I bribed him!!  I would take him to the basketball game if he would spill his guts.  I threw in some candy for good measure.  It worked!

Turns out there was a couple 4th grade boys who decided to make it their mission to shove every 1st grade boy into a snow bank.  Kade (along with a number of other boys) had already been on the receiving end of the knock down a couple of times already.

I'm happy to say he came home with a good report.  The principal got involved, the bullies got in trouble and the 1st grade boys enjoyed a shove-free recess today.  Hopefully that's the end of it.  And if it's not, Uncle Jeremy used to teach at Kade's school and he's still got lots of teacher/friends there.....the beauty of small town living.

Boxes are always better than toys!